


Separation and Contact

by Gabi_type_creature



Series: Escaping the Crimson's Grasp [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Possession, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28234098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabi_type_creature/pseuds/Gabi_type_creature
Summary: Bad hasn't left the Crimson's side in weeks. Skeppy goes down to pull him out.(Canon Divergence before Sapnap tries to blow the egg up.)
Relationships: Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch, Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Series: Escaping the Crimson's Grasp [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068293
Comments: 13
Kudos: 230





	Separation and Contact

The egg pulsed a dull maroon, the vines shifting under his feet. Bad could _feel_ its cries of pain as yet another of its growths outside of the chamber was chopped down and burned. "I know sweetie, I know. You're gonna be ok." He murmured, running a gentle hand over the thick shell. "We just gotta make them see you're not dangerous, and then you can bloom as much as you want." One of the smaller tendrils reached up and curled around his waist, and he giggled at the sensation. "Aww, thank you!"

It didn't move like this for anyone else, not even Ant or Puffy despite them being as loyal as he is. He took it to mean that the Crimson thought of him differently, what with how much time he spent watching over it. Something more important than a d̡̢i̧͜sçi͏p̷҉l̷̕͢e… family, maybe? The others couldn't see, couldn't feel how they were hurting this poor thing, but Bad would make them see if he had to. They'd come around, and when everything was ready the Crimson would finally hatch.

"Bad?"

The vines around him tighten, and he feels a ~~quiet horror~~ drowsy hum building up as it pulls him closer. The feeling is soon replaced with a fluttering joy as he recognized the familiar crystalline blue.

"S'geppy!" He cheered from his perch, and he felt the vines around him loosen enough to let him move. "Have you come to help?"

"N- help? Bad, this thing is infecting the entire server!"

The world tilts around him as he stands, the room seeming to spin. One of the thinner vines wraps around his leg to keep him steady, and he whispers his thanks before continuing. "Yeah, it's great! It's a shame everyone is ruining it's hard work though."

Skeppy sighed, the frustration clear in his tone. "You need to get away from that- just for a bit, okay?" He stepped closer, carefully navigating around the vines. "I- I miss hanging out with you."

"Awww, I miss hanging out too!" Bad chirped, tail flicking in excitement. "Oh! Why don't we do it now?"

"That would be good." The other had come to a point where he couldn't go further without climbing the vines. He held a hand out to Bad, expression full of hope. "Let's go right now."

"Why go anywhere? We can hang out right in here!" The thought of all his favorites in one place made him giddy, though Skeppy didn't seem as cheerful. “It could be euphoric.”

"You don't wanna go out somewhere?"

"I have everything I need here. I don't need to leave." The words slip from his mouth before he can properly think about them, but it must be t͘͠͞r͠ų̕͝e̢̡̕. It has to be true if he said it. It is true, and it çan͘ b̶e ͟t͘r͠ue ͠fo̧r Skeppy ͠too͠. He just has to convince him. "Come on, let's just stay here and talk." Bad says softly as he takes the offered hand, intent on pulling his friend up.

Instead Skeppy easily yanks him free from the vines, and he loses all contact with the Crimson as he tumbles into his friend's arms. It’s only then that he notices just how tired he feels, but that is quickly overshadowed by the sudden need to be touching it- the shell, the vines, something. H҉e͠ ̵h҉as͟ to be ̢co͟n͝n̴ec͞t͟ed. “Geppy, let me gooo!” Bad whines. He attempts to squirm out of the other’s grasp, but it doesn’t seem to do much except wear him out far too quickly.

“Nope. I’m getting you out of here before that thing eats you or something. Fuck, when was the last time you ate?”

“Language!” He huffs. The embrace isn’t the all̴-c͟͏̴onsu̢̕m̛i̢n̵̕͝g͡ presence of the Crimson, but for some reason, it’s still a comfort. “You don’t need to take me, I ate…” He frowns as he tries to remember. Time is hard to track down here, with no sun or clock, and he’d kept giving his own r҉҉e͞sou̸͞r̸͞c͝e͠s͘͡ to feed the egg. “Recently enough.” He finally finishes. Skeppy clutches him closer to his chest, a small desperate laugh sending shivers down his spine.

“I haven’t seen you for weeks Bad. You’re not okay, this weird fu- thing isn’t okay!”

“It’s not weird… ‘s pretty.“ Bad tries to protest further but he’s too tired, too weak. Maybe just a little break is a good thing- not permanent, never permanent, he reassures the voice in his mind as he’s carried up the stairs. If he takes the time to regain his strength, then he can more effectively serv̶e҉ the C̛͘r͠i͘͝m̕͜s̢҉̧ơn̴͠.

The desperate tugging eases, and he passes out, curled up in Skeppy’s arms.

* * *

Bad almost panics when he wakes up on the couch, not leaning against the precious warmth of the Crimson’s shell. He needs to be there, n͟e͜e̷ds t̛o̧ protec͢t͝ ̢it̕, has to help it grow- he tries to sit up and nearly passes out again, whimpering as dizziness and pain shoot through his skull. His tail curls tightly around his waist as he squeezes his eyes shut, the pressure a flimsy facsimile of the Crimson’s grip. He wants to go back.

“Bad, you’re awake!” Skeppy’s voice pierces his head and he whines again. His crystalline companion’s voice drops to a murmur as he sits by the demon’s side. “Shi- shoot, sorry. How’re you feeling, bud?”

“Nnnnn… not good.” His eyes are still squeezed shut so he flinches when a cool hand suddenly brushes through shadowy locks, gentle fingers grazing his scalp. It soothes some sort of burning need, a sensation he didn’t know he’d been craving. At this moment, despite the dizziness and aches and overall gross feeling, there’s no place he’d rather be. 

“Yeah, that thing really did a number on you.” His tone is sweet and soft, and when Bad peeks up at him, the diamond-blue face wears a sorrowful expression that makes his heart ache. Skeppy smiles down at him before moving to leave. “I’m gonna go get you something to eat.” The hand leaves his head and he immediately misses the familiar touch.

“Noooooo~.” Bad whines. Skeppy chuckles quietly.

“I have to.”

“Geppyyyy, don’t go.”

“You need food!” The couch shifts as the other stands and he curls up just a tad more as Skeppy walks away, his voice getting fainter. “I’ll be right back, don’t worry.” His tail once again tightens around his waist, a shoddy imitation of what he wants to feel. What does he want, exactly?

He wants to not be alone. He wants Skeppy to come back and hug him, tell him that it’s going to be okay. He wants to go back to the Crimson, let the pain and ache be dulled to the back of his mind until he feels that sweet ~~e͠mp̶t̸i͞n̴͘e҉sş̡͠ o̕҉f̛ ͜be̢̛i̴ng̶̕ ̶c̵on̨͡s͟҉u͏͞m͠͠e̸͢͠d̡͘~~ euphoria of being connected. He wants someone, something, anything to wrap him in its embrace so he doesn’t feel so alone and cold in his own skin.

He wants to go back to the Crimson. He needs to go back. He must r̷e̛t͝urn͘ to tend to it.

Slowly, shakily, Bad stretches out and attempts to sit up. Each movement is accompanied by a wave of dizziness, but he manages it in a minute or so. First step complete! Now he just needs to stand. He looks down at the floor, squinting as it wobbles. It shouldn’t be doing that, but Bad has gotten through much worse. He braces his hands against the arm of the couch and silently counts off. Three, two, one- He’s on his feet! Bad takes a step, then another, pushing against the darkness that threatens to cloud out his vision. He can make it back to the Crimson, back to its pro̸t̢e̷c̵ti̧o̕n. He’s almost halfway across the room when he stumbles, unable to recover.

The floor rushes to meet him, and his breath suddenly evacuates his lungs, leaving him gasping for air. “Bad?” A faint voice calls. Quick steps growing louder, he’s missed his chance. He struggles to push himself up again, but for some reason, it’s so much harder than it should be. It’s too cold in here, he’s too weak, weak without the Crimson g̢uidin͠g͡ him. “Bad!” Strong, safe arms slip underneath his shoulders and help him to his feet, only to guide him back to the couch. All that progress lost. “You could’ve hurt yourself, what were you thinking?”

“I need to go back.” The tugging on the back of his mind has started up again. He needs to go to it, to protect it. He has to keep the egg safe. It needs him, just as he needs it. Apparently he voices these thoughts because Skeppy sighs.

“You can’t go back there Bad, that freaky egg was messing with your head. Probably still is.”

“It needs me, I have to go back.” He repeats, but his friend doesn’t listen.

“You need to eat.” A plate is set in his lap but he ignores how his stomach aches. The cal̵l͏ ̵̸͘o̢͘f ̵̨̢the̢ ̸͡C̵̷͠r̡ims̡͟͟o͞͏n͝ is louder than his needs.

“I’m going.” He tries to stand again, but Skeppy places a hand on his chest, pushing him gently back onto the couch. It should be easy to get past that, but the act seems more like an impossible feat the longer he struggles against it. “What- why can’t I get up?” He says between short, panting breaths.

“Because you’re starving!” Skeppy snaps, and Bad freezes as his friend’s hands shift to his shoulders. “Fucking- look at yourself, that thing was feeding off of you!” The intensity, the force and worry laced through each word is somehow just enough to break through. For the first time in almost a month, Bad is completely himself.

The first thing he notices is just how loose his hoodie is on him. It hangs off of his form in a way that just looks _wrong_ , and when he shakily lifts his arm the sleeve slips down to reveal an unusually skeletal wrist. How had he not noticed before? The aches and exhaustion double down on him, and he lets his arm fall back down. His whole body feels disgusting, and he realizes that he probably hasn’t bathed in a week- no wonder he feels so awful. He’d spent so long caring for the Crimson he’d completely forgotten to take care of himself. In this precious moment of clarity, he understood his situation perfectly.

The hands let go of his shoulders as he sniffles, tears beginning to burn at the corners of his eyes. “M’sorry Skeppy, I- I can’t- I don’t- help, please.”

Through the blur he can see his friend’s expression shift, replacing dread with concern. “It’s okay Bad. We’re gonna fix this, okay?”

“Okay.” He repeats. A cool blue hand cups his face, and his eyes flutter shut at the sensation, relief overwhelming him. The feeling is soon disrupted by a now-familiar entangling of his thoughts with another thing- another presence. The Crimson encroaching on his mind, turning his brain to mush again. “S’geppy?” He grabs hold of his friend’s wrist, looking him in the eyes.

“I’m right here Bad.”

He forces as much of himself into his next words as he can, as the world around him starts to dull back into emptiness. “Don’t let me go back there. No matter how much I ask, no matter what I do, promise you won’t let me go back there.”

“I-”

His hand slips off of Skeppy’s wrist, limbs growing heavy as the C̶̛͢r͟ims҉͘o͢n̸̡’s influence envelops his mind, weaving its tendrils deeper than before. He does̛n't̕ st҉o͜p ͞it. ̡He doesn͘'t w͟ąnt ͜to bę here. H͢e n̸e͞eds ̛to go ba̸c͢k.

Skeppy’s staring at him in confusion. “Bad, what were you saying?”

“It’s not important.” He instantly chirps in reply, shifting away from the other. “Thanks for bringing food Geppy.”

“I- you’re welcome?” Skeppy scoots back, and a small part of him misses the closeness. But the rest of him, the ŗ͢eşt k҉n̶ows͝ ͠bette҉r͡.

He’ll let himself recharge, let himself take a moment to rest- the sooner he heals, the sooner he can go back.

The sooner he can better serve.

**Author's Note:**

> There is a lack of Crimson content, and there is a lack of Badboyhalo and Skeppy appreciation.  
> Comments fuel me, so leave one if you wish >:3


End file.
